Bird Sightings

Seen an interesting bird? Then let us know by submitting a record on our on-line database. It is easy to do but if you need some instructions take a look at the Submit Sightings Page. To view the latest sightings just click on the menu item for Latest Sightings.

Some birds are not uncommon in other parts of the country or around our coasts, but may be in Buckinghamshire. If you want to see just how scarce a particular species is then take a look at the Bucks List.

The data contained on these pages is intended to be a source of reference for birders as well having the added interest of containing the latest information for this year (If I can keep up with it)! The species included are generally the more common of our summer and winter visitors, although some scarcer species are also included. Other species may be included at a later date if this trial is deemed to be successful (feedback required please).

The tables linked to this page contain data extracted from Buckinghamshire historical bird records for the years 1971 to 1998. All records refer to Buckinghamshire. The records for 2001 contain observations submitted to either the BuckBirders email group, Rob Andrews (the Club Recorder), directly to myself at Jim Rose , or via general internet and Email services such as Birdguides. If you have any updates of these please let me know.

Please bear in mind the following points :-

The average dates given are that of the earliest records received and not the typical arrival date which is obviously somewhat later. The opposite of course applies to average late dates.

Some species that are normally regarded as UK residents (e.g. Ringed Plover) can be treated as summer visitors to Bucks as there is a clear break in records during the winter months.

Some species that are regarded as summer visitors to the UK, may in fact be treated as migrant species in Bucks (e.g. Wheatear), as it is possible to separate the spring passage from the return passage. Hence there are two sets of tables for these species (see Migrant Summer Visitors).

You may find that there are some species missing from the tables that you might have expected to see. This may be due to the back that some species that are normally regarded as say a summer visitor do turn up during other months making it difficult to determine arrival and departure dates (e.g. Blackcap).

Where the occasional exceptional record occurs (e.g. where a normal summer visitor is recorded over wintering) that record is ignored from the average date calculation and from the earliest/latest ever data. This is indicated against that species in the table.

Additional years data will be added on the publication of the Buckinghamshire Annual Bird Report.